Walking tours of neighborhood attractions are popular fundraisers and Decatur’s inaugural Neighborfood event Saturday afternoon adds an extra dimension with dining at each destination.

Organizer Ellie Hensley, the ambassador for the four-restaurant Decatur Dishcrawl, said the eight-stop Neighborfood is “like a treasure hunt.”

“Their ‘ticket’ is a map they’ll get at check-in with all eight restaurants marked on it,” she said. “People will walk around with their families or the groups they came with at their own pace, and try the places in whatever order they want.”

“They had a cancellation and we were happy to participate,” Mathews said.

Not only does the event provide more visibility for the fledgling eatery, its charitable aspect dovetails with the core values of the “joint.”

“It’s called ‘a local joint.’ That’s what we’re trying to be. We want to be involved in everything that goes on around here. We like to say our patrons are our neighbors,” Mathews said.

A portion of the event’s $45 ticket will benefit Decatur’s own Breakthru House founded in 1969, Hensley said.

“They're Georgia’s first long-term residential recovery center for women, and though they run on a very small staff, they do some great work and are some of the kindest, most hardworking people I’ve ever met,” she said.

One of those staff members is Development Manager Allison Blum Myers, who said the contributions will be welcome.

“They will go toward scholarships for homeless women who are in need of addiction treatment,” she said about expenses of up to $1,250 per month.

She said the nonprofit is honored to be the event’s beneficiary.

“We love being part of the Decatur community so we’re excited to be part of this event where everyone gets to taste all the delicious food of Decatur,” she said.

*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, spam, and links to outside websites will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides